I hope the hurt doesn`t come again.
In 2019, a group of young people visited the town called Wittenoom when it was clear and cloudless.
They frolicked and Pose, as if they had accomplished some challenge.
And to see these photo Western Australia government, has gone crazy. Government staff almost roared to the public: don`t go there! This is no other place! This is Wittenoom! It killed 2000 people!
But the danger seemed to attract more young people, who took nothing and stepped into the town with an innocent and foolish smile.
When the insider, with trembling hands, kept calling on the Internet not to step into the seemingly gentle land.
A terrible truth, as they reminded them, slowly surfaced: this is a ghost town, its air can be.
After a cough, countless blood spots, like poppies, spread over the wife`s clean table.
The old miner knew that he had died soon.
(for drawing only)
All his friends were like themselves: at first he had difficulty breathing, then he was in a trance, and every last breath was like sucking lead into his lungs.
No one knows what`s going on. People just see all the residents of Wittenoom fall ill one by one. In the end, they all have the same symptoms: hemoptysis. And then die.
Doctors at first thought that the gray horse knight wielded a sickle and sown the seeds of tuberculosis on the land here, but people`s symptoms were so different.
The doctors were helpless, and they watched their patients be reaped by death.
Grandfather dies, father dies, mother dies, then children.
Blood flowers bloom, but people do not know why.
The invisible death particles fluttered and floated in the air, spreading to every resident`s home as the wind spread.
But those who groan in the hospital bed remember how prosperous the town was in Western Australia in 1920.
People in small towns know each other, and even if some families are poor, everyone is full of energy.
In the morning, people waved to each other and nodded and smiled.
At that time, most men worked in mines in small towns.
Some are in the coal mine, some are in the copper mine, some are in the iron ore.
People think that the peace and harmony of Wittenoom will continue, men will continue to work, women will make meals and sing songs at home.
Until 1930, there were new mines.
Mothers who are baking fresh bread do not know, children running around in the field do not know, men with bright smiles do not know.
The land of peace is being frequented by the beginning of the day.
After 1930, immigrants from Europe came to Australia, a land blessed by God, to avoid war.
Followed by the rapid development of the construction industry.
People sing and dance, welcome the prosperity of the two World War, work together to create a greater Australia.
At that time, the construction technology was not bad, people found a material that can strengthen the strength of the building infinitely, just mix it into concrete, and the stronger house of duang, is produced.
But at that time, people did not know that this magic-like material, is a trap that God cleverly designed.
When people hear it today, their backs are cold because its name is like a human eraser.
Asbesto, Asbestos
At that time, this small fiber was considered a gift from Jusus, and as long as it was added to the building material, the quality of the project would go immediately.
But people do not understand that every seemingly free gift, God secretly marked the price.
Everyone around Wittenoom cheered when they were detected for asbestos-a material that would definitely ensure the prosperity of the town for 200 years.
What people do not expect is that the bluestone they found is so huge.
In just 10 years, Wittenoom has become the largest supplier of asbestos in Australia.
Orders from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide continue to pour into the seemingly mundane town. Mediators, drivers, and owners of asbestos mines struggle to sleep excitedly at night.
A steady stream of wealth is pouring into Wittenoom.
However, just as people feel that as long as they are involved in the asbestos mine, they can guarantee their happy and beautiful life, more and more miners begin to develop lung disease.
People can no longer breathe, or even walk around.
At first, some of the miners thought it was just affectionate. They even took off their masks when they went down the mine and said to those who said the asbestos mine was toxic, "look, it`s nothing at all."
However, things are getting worse and worse.
In the town of hundreds of people, people die one by one, unable to breathe, unable to move.
Even children who have not been born long will have strange symptoms.
Their fingers collapsed down as if they were eagle claws.
(cotton pestle finger)
The old people who survived began to suspect that it all came from the exploitation of asbestos mines, and that was not what Wittenoom, used to be like.
Some people leave here, but soon the same symptoms began to appear in them. After the planing, their lungs showed the same scar.
Many people who have moved again do not want to stay away from here, but no one lives to be 60 years old again.
This gradually caused unease, forced by the pressure of the residents in 1966, as well as the declining economic.
The asbestos mines near Wittenoom have been shut down.
But at this time, there is no healthy person.
It has been four years since the closure of the asbestos factory in 1966.
In 1970, health organizations around the world sent a clear signal after counting people who had been exposed to the substance:
Inhalation of asbestos ash can not only lead to pulmonary fibrosis and pneumoconiosis, but also induce bronchogenic cancer, pleural and abdominal mesothelioma and other malignant tumors.
The International Agency for Cancer Research, a subsidiary of the World Health Organization (WHO), declared asbestos to be a class I carcinogen.
Residents of the town of Wittenoom heard the definite death sentence, and the living were using their fingers to calculate how long they could live.
Cancer, it`s all cancer.
Everyone dies of cancer.
However, it is not over yet.
After government monitored the air in the area, it was found that even if cotton mines had stopped being developed, there were still large amounts of asbestos floating in the air of the town.
In other words, as long as you live here, as long as you take a breath, people`s health will be subject to irreversible threat.
People are moving away from the area, but so far, according to the most conservative statistics, at least 2000 people in the area have died of asbestos pollution.
The survivor of Lyniece Bolitho, Wittenoom told the media such a heartbreaking remark:
"first my grandfather, then my father, and finally my three uncles. They all died. Asphyxiation, cancer, no exception."
"I don`t know how many people survived.
"Don`t go there, never!"
To avoid getting worse, government cancelled the town`s administrative division as early as 2006.
It is no longer a legitimate town in Australia, it no longer has a name, it has become a real ghost city.
To prevent the public from breaking into the area again, the then regional development minister Jon Ford, erased the town from official maps in 2007 to avoid special visits.
To this day, there are still asbestos fragments in the air of this land.
When health departments conduct spot checks, staff have to wear layer after layer of protective clothing to avoid health risks.
The surrounding warning signs also constantly remind people that there is asbestos in this area and do not enter.
But the foolish and ignorant young people broke into it in an endless stream, just to take a few pictures of photo.
Minister, Ben Wyatt, the Department of primitive things and Land Management, said to the public haggard:
To date, there is still a large amount of asbestos fiber in the air in this area.
Even a breath of air in this town is fatal.
All we know about the town is that no matter how much money it costs to clean it up, the land is no longer suitable for human habitation.
There`s only one thing I can tell you: never, never step into this town.
When you shoot photo and send it to Ins, your health is being seriously damaged.
When Xiao Wei sees these photo, he feels tight: fools are fearless, and those who do not know history are not afraid of everything.
The tranquillity and serenity of the town at this time is the greatest illusion, and the glittering fragments of the air are looking for the next enemy who intends to die.
The story goes back to asbestos.
As Xiaowei has already said, Wittenoom used to be the largest supplier of asbestos in Australia.
When many readers read it, they probably ask a more central question:Where are the asbestos?
One unfortunate news is that they are in our house, our streets, and our schools.
Only 39 of the 1440 state schools in Victoria passed the test, according to a 2015 survey of asbestos in schools.
Note that only 39 are qualified and the remaining thousands of schools are exposed to the risk of cancer caused by asbestos.
As soon as this happened, the parents were in an uproar: how can our children be exposed to this high-risk material?
Government also did not allow such incidents to happen, starting in 2015, all schools in Victoria began to carry out asbestos testing, Governor Daniel Andews promised to eliminate the safety risks posed by asbestos in all schools by 2020.
However, to this day.
There are still 342 schools with asbestos hazards in Victoria, which are still in operation.
Not only children, Australia, but also the world with the highest per capita incidence of asbestos-caused diseases.
It is expected that 30, 000 Australians will suffer from asbestos-related diseases over the next 20 years.
All this is because Australia used to be one of the countries with the largest per capita use of asbestos in the world.
In February 2013, government issued an asbestos guide to the public saying that house built before 1990 basically contains asbestos.
2/3 of the houses and units built in 1984 contain asbestos.
The old house of the 1970s was built entirely of asbestos materials.
To this day, all Australians are still under the threat of asbestos.
On a bright afternoon, looking at the clear sky, those dangerous particles may float in the air.
Xiaowei has said: because Australia once used asbestos in buildings on a large scale, it has been attached importance to by government.
These frequently asked questions tell you:
Does the asbestos have to be removed?
Not necessarily.
If you find asbestos materials when decorating, please contact your professional organization: for example, consult the relevant professional removal company after Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, whether you need to remove asbestos materials, specific information can be referred to: http://www.asbestos.vic.gov.au/licensed-removalists/find-a-removalist
What is the cost of doing an asbestos inspection? How much is the removal fee?
The starting price is about A $500. The removal cost is determined according to the specific location and area of house.
Who should I ask for professional advice?
Contact the state administration or industry organization where you are located.
Can I remove the asbestos on my own in accordance with the guidelines?
Yes, but you need to strictly follow the guidelines and learn from the local city government about the requirements for the safe removal of asbestos and whether the city has designated an area for the disposal of toxic substances. For specific information, please refer to: http://www.asbestos.vic.gov.au/in-the-home
However, note that self-removal of asbestos is very risky and is not encouraged to try on its own.
Is it safe to buy house for asbestos cement (fibro)?
Check whether it is painted, sealed, damaged, or with small holes, notches and scratches, to see if it is asbestos cement or an asbestos insulation board, and if the surface is in good condition, to see if it is painted, sealed, damaged, or small holes, notches and scratches.
Note that this requires a professional assessment.
How much asbestos is safe to be exposed to?
It has been found that only a small amount of asbestos is sufficient to cause disease and even death.
Micro wishes all Australians one day protected against asbestos.
Also wish Wittenoom can really become a ghost city, no one patronizes there any more.
